Stephen Turnbull é um escritor, académico e historiador especializado em história militar, destacando-se pelo seu significativo número de trabalhos sobre a história do Japão medieval.[1] Criou também livros sobre samurais, artes marciais, história militar da Europa e do extremo oriente.
Turnbull estodou na Universidade de Cambridge onde se graduou. Actualmente tem o mestrado em Teologia, mestrado em História Militar e doutoramente da Universidade de Leeds, donde trabalha como professor de Religiões do Extremo Oriente.
Escreveu vários livros sobre inúmeros temas medievais. Fez parte do conselho editorial da Medieval History Magazine (2003-2005), publicada em associação com os Royal Armouries. Participou enquanto consultor na criação do jogo de PC de grande sucesso Shogun: Total War assim como da sua sequela Total War: Shogun 2, ambos produtos da The Creative Assembly, bem como no filme 47 Ronin, estrelado por Keanu Reeves.[2]
- The Samurai: A Military History, Londres, MacMillan Publishers, 1977, 304 p. ISBN 0-85045-302-X
- Samurai Armies 1550-1615, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Men-at-arms, n°86), 1979, 48 p. ISBN 0-85045-302-X
- Mongols, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Men-at-arms, n°105), 1980, 48 p. ISBN 0-85045-372-0
- The book of the samurai, the warrior class of Japan, Londres, Arco Publishing, 1982, 192 p. ISBN 0-66805-415-8
- The Book of the Medieval Knight, Londres, Arms & Armour Press, 1985, 192 p. ISBN 0-85368-715-3
- Samurai Warlords : The Book of the Daimyō, Poole, Blandford Press, 1989, 176 p. ISBN 0-71372-329-7
- Samurai Warriors, Poole, Blandford Press, 1991, 160 p. ISBN 0-71372-285-1
- Ninja: The True Story of Japan's Secret Warrior Cult, Firebird, 1992, 176 p. ISBN 1-85314-117-8
- The Lone Samurai and the Martial Arts, Londres, Arms & Armour Press, 1992, 160 p. ISBN 1-85409-144-1
- The Kakure Kirishitan of Japan: A Study of Their Development, Beliefs and Rituals to the Present Day, Londres, Routledge (coll. Japan Library), 1998, 296 p. ISBN 1-87341-070-0
- The Samurai Sourcebook, Londres, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1998, 320 p. ISBN 1-85409-371-1
- Nagashino 1575: Slaughter at the barricades, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Campaign, n°76), 2000, 96 p. ISBN 1-85532-619-4 Erro de parâmetro em {{ISBN}}: soma de verificação
- The Samurai Tradition, Londres, Routledge (coll. Key Papers on Japan), 2000, 617 p. ISBN 1-87341-022-0
- Ashigaru 1467-1649, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Warrior, n°43), 2001, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-149-7 Erro de parâmetro em {{ISBN}}: soma de verificação
- Siege Weapons of the Far East (1) AD 612–1300, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. New Vanguard, n°43), 2001, 48 p. ISBN 1-84176-339-2 Erro de parâmetro em {{ISBN}}: soma de verificação
- Fighting Ships of the Far East (1): China and Southeast Asia 202 BC-AD 1419, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. New Vanguard, n°61), 2002, 48 p. ISBN 1-84176-386-1
- Samurai Heraldry, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Elite, n°82), 2002, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-304-7
- Siege Weapons of the Far East (2): AD 960-1644, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. New Vanguard, n°44), 2002, 48 p. ISBN 1-84176-340-3
- War in Japan 1467-1615, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Essential Histories, n°46), 2002, 96 p. ISBN 1-84176-480-9
- Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights (1): The red-brick castles of Prussia 1230–1466, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°19), 2003, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-557-0
- Fighting Ships of the Far East (2): Japan and Korea AD 612-1639, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. New Vanguard, n°63), 2003, 48 p. ISBN 1-84176-478-7
- Genghis Khan and the Mongol Conquests 1190-1400, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Essential Histories, n°57), 2003, 96 p. ISBN 1-84176-523-5 Erro de parâmetro em {{ISBN}}: soma de verificação
- Japanese Castles 1540-1640, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°5), 2003, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-429-9
- Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Warrior, n°70), 2003, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-573-2
- Kawanakajima 1553-64. Samurai Power Struggle, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Campaign, n°130), 2003, 96 p. ISBN 1-84176-562-7
- Mongol Warrior 1200-1350, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Warrior, n°84), 2003, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-583-X
- Ninja AD 1460-1650, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Warrior, n°64), 2003, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-525-2
- Samurai. The World of the Warrior, Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2003 (1ère édition), 224 p. ISBN 1-84176-951-7
- Tannenberg 1410. Disaster for the Teutonic Knights, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Campaign, n°122), 2003, 96 p. ISBN 1-84176-561-7 Erro de parâmetro em {{ISBN}}: soma de verificação
- The Ottoman Empire 1353-1699, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Essential Histories, n°62), 2003, 96 p. ISBN 1-84176-569-3 Erro de parâmetro em {{ISBN}}: soma de verificação
- Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights (2): Baltic Stone Castles 1184-1560, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°19), 2004, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-712-3
- Samurai: The Story of Japan's Great Warriors, Londres, PRC Publishing, 2004, 224 p. ISBN 1-85648-703-2
- Samurai Invasion: Japan's Korean War 1592 -1598, Londres, Cassell, 2004, 256 p. ISBN 0-30435-948-3
- Samurai Warfare, Londres, Arms & Armour Press, 2004, 160 p. ISBN 1-85409-432-7
- The Hussite Wars, 1420-34, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Men-at-arms, n°409), 2004, 48 p. ISBN 1-84176-665-8
- The Knight Triumphant: The High Middle Ages, 1314-1485, Londres, Cassell, 2004, 224 p. ISBN 0-30435-971-8
- The Walls of Constantinople AD 324-1453, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°25), 2004, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-759-X
- Japanese Fortified Temples and Monasteries, AD 710-1062, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°34), 2005, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-826-X
- Samurai Commanders (1). 940-1576, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Elite, n°125), 2005, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-743-3
- Samurai Commanders (2) 1577-1638, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Elite, n°128), 2005, 64 p. ISBN 1-84176-744-1
- Warriors of Medieval Japan, Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2005, 288 p. ISBN 1-84603-220-2
- Osaka 1615. The Last Battle of the Samurai, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Campaign, n°170), 2006, 96 p. ISBN 1-84176-960-6
- The Art of Renaissance Warfare: From the Fall of Constantinople to the Thirty Years War, Newbury, Greenhill Books, 2006, 256 p. ISBN 1-85367-676-4
- The Samurai and the Sacred: The Path of the Warrior, Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2006, 224 p. ISBN 1-84603-021-8
- Japanese Castles in Korea 1592-98, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°67), 2007, 64 p. ISBN 1-84603-104-4
- Pirate of the Far East: 811-1639, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Warrior, n°125), 2007, 64 p. ISBN 1-84603-174-5
- Real Samurai: Over 20 True Stories about the Knights of Old Japan!, New York, Enchanted Lion Books, 2007, 48 p. ISBN 1-59270-060-8
- (avec HALDON John et NICOLLE David)The Fall of Constantinople. The Ottoman Conquest of Byzantium, Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2007, 256 p. ISBN 1-84603-200-4 Erro de parâmetro em {{ISBN}}: soma de verificação
- The Great Wall of China 221 BC - AD 1644, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°57), 2007, 96 p. ISBN 1-84603-004-8
- Battles of the Samurai, Londres, Arms & Armour Press, 2008, 126 p. ISBN 1-85409-161-1
- Japanese Castles AD 250-1540, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Fortress, n°74), 2008, 64 p. ISBN 1-84603-253-9
- Real Ninja: Over 20 True Stories of Japan's Secret Assassins, New York, Enchanted Lion Books, 2008, 48 p. ISBN 1-59270-081-0
- Samurai Armies 1467-1649, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Battle Orders, n°36), 2008, 96 p. ISBN 1-84603-351-9
- The Samurai Invasion of Korea 1592-98, Oxford, Osprey Publishing (coll. Campaign, n°198), 2008, 96 p. ISBN 1-84603-254-7
- The Samurai Swordsman: Master of War, Leicester, Frontlines Books, 2008, 288 p. ISBN 1-84415-712-1